Combined valance-board support and curtain-rod bracket



March 18, 1930. WINTROB 1,751,062

COMBINED VALANCE BOARD SUPPORT AND CURTAIN ROD BRACKET Filed Sept. 29, 1928 JACOB M. WINTROB I I 770 rrwy v Patented Mar. 18, 1930 PATENT OFFICE JACOB M. WINTROB, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA COMBINED VALANCE-BOARD SUPPORT AND CURTAIN-ROD BRACKET Application filed September 29, 1928. Serial No. 309,138.

6 bined valance board support and curtain rod bracket.

Heretofore and prior to this invention it has been the general practice to hang curtains and draperies from rods carried by suit- 10 able brackets secured directly to the face of the window or door trim. This practice, of course, necessitated driving the securing elements into the trim the external surface of which was in consequence injured or marred. Also, in a number of instances it was difficult, due to the particular configuration of the trim, to properly and securely position the brackets thereupon without resorting to more or less complicated and expensive expedients. And once these brackets were mounted in position no provision was made for adjusting the same toward or away from the trim in orderto move the curtains and draperies closer to or farther away from the woodwork surrounding the window or door. For supporting the valance in position it has been more or less common practice to employ a board which extends shelf-like across the upper trim and to the outer edges of which is suitably secured the depending valance. This board which is removable at will, has been usually supported upon suitable angle brackets secured to the face of the trim. Not only are these angle brackets extremely unsightly when the valance is removed but their application to the face of the trim of necessity causes the latter to be permanently disfigured and injured.

All of the above-mentioned difficulties and objections have been overcome by the provision of a combined valance board support and hanging rod bracket constructed in accordance with my invention disclosed in a copending application Serial No. 297,989, filed August 7, 1928.

The present invention has for its primary objects, in addition to those mentioned in said copending application, certain improvements in the construction disclosed in the aforesaid copending application. One of these objects is the idea of incorporating as an integral element of thecombined support and bracket the pulleys which are employed in connec tion with the draw-cords for drawing the hangings together or apart, thereby obviating the necessity for using separate drawcord fittings.

A further object of this invention is the provision of an auxiliary element which is adapted to be separately secured in position upon the wall and which in turn serves to support the combined support and bracket in quick-detachable position. By means of this auxiliary element itbecomes possible to remove and replace the combined support and bracket without necessitating the use of any tools or special securing elements.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a combined valance board support and hanging rod bracket having a maximum degree of strength and rigidity at the same time that it is extremely simple and inexpensive in construction.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear more fully hereinafter.

The invention consists substantially in the combination, location, construction and relative arrangement of parts, all as will be described more fully hereinafter, as shown in the accompanying drawings, and as finally pointed out in the appended claims. In the accompanying drawings, wherein has been illustrated a preferred form of construction embodying the principles of this invention Figure 1 is a front elevational view showing a pair of combination brackets, constructed in accordance with this invention, mounted in position above a window trim, the valance board being omitted for the sake of clarity;

Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof with all hangings and the valance board omitted,

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of one of the brackets taken on-the line 3-3 of Figure 2, the valance board being shown in position;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the combined support and bracket shown in Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the cooperating bracket separated from the valence board support with which it is normally associated;

Figure 6 is a perspective of the auxiliary bracket for quick detachably securing the combination bracket in position as shown in Figure 3;

F igure7 is a top plan view of the pulley arrangement shown in Figure 5; and

Figure 8 is a transverse section taken on the line 88 of Figure 3.

Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to Figures 1 and 3, the numeral 10 designates generally the framework of a window or door adapted to be fitted with hangings such as the curtain 11, the draperies 12, .and the Valance 13. The curtain 11 and the draperies 12 are respectively supported from suitable rods 14 and 15 arranged to extend across the top of the framework, these rods being in turn supported by the brackets constructed in accordance with this invention. The valance 13 is secured in any suit able manner to the outer edges of a valance board 16 supported by the same brackets as supportthe rods 14 and 15. The brackets which thus serve as a common support for the rods 14 and 15 and the valance board 16 are designated generally by the reference numerals 17 and 18, it being observed that these brackets are mounted at opposite sides of the framework 10.

It will be observed that each of these brackets 17 and 18 includes a horizontally disposed body portion 19 from the rear edge of which upwardly projects a portion 20. The upper edge of this vertical portion 20 terminates in a forwardly and downwardly curved portion 21 having a lip 22. As ap pears quite clearly in Figures 3 and 4, the flat bottomportion 19 of the bracket is of considerably greater length than the upper portion 21 thereof. This upper portion 21 is preferably resilient and serves as a spring finger to frictionally retain in position the valance board 16 which is inserted, .as shown in Figure 3, between the portion 19 of the bracket and the overlying lip 22; The valance board 16 is positioned with its rear edge abutting the upstanding portion 20 of the bracket and is preferably of a width such that its forward edge project-s beyond the forward ends of the supporting portions 19 of the brackets.

As is shown most clearly in Figure '4, the bottom portion 19 of each of thebrackets is provided at the side edges thereof with a pair of inturned flanges or lips 23 which form with the under surface of the body 19 a pair of parallel longitudinally extending grooves or channeled guides 24. The vertically ex tending portion 20 of the bracket as well as the upper portion 21 thereof have the opposite side edgesthereof folded back upon'theinselves, as at 25, to provide in effect a'double thickness of metal whereby to materially increase the strength and rigidity of the bracket as a whole. It will be understood, of course, that any other suitable means may be employed for reinforcing and increasing the rigidity of the valance board supporting portion of the brackets. Formed in the rear end of the body 19 of each bracket are a pair of opposed slots 26, the purpose of which will be explained hereinafter.

Arranged to be slida-bly mounted within the channeled guides 24 of each bracket is a member for supporting the curtain and drapery rods 14 and 15. Figures 3 and 4 show one of these rod supporting members, designated generally bythe numeral 27, operatively associated with the valance board supporting portion of the bracket 17 Figure 5 shows a second rodsupporting member, designated generally by the reference numeral 28, which is designed for usein connection with the rod supporting member 27, it being understood that the member 28 is arranged for operative.

association with a valance board supporting member exactly similar to that shown in Figures 3 and 4. The rod supporting members 27 and 28 are alike in that they are each provided with a substantially flat body 29 from the front and rear edges'of which respectively depend the flanges 30 and 31. The body 29 of each of the members 27 :and 28is of a transverse width substantially equal to that of the bottom portion 19 of the bracket, each of the. members 27 and 28 being suitably slotted as at 32 to permit the side edges of the body 29 thereof to slide within the channeled guides 24. The free lower QIlClS'OfllllQ flanges 30 and 31 of each of the members 27' and 28 are rolled to providea pair of parallel tubular sockets 33 and 34 extending tra-nsversely of the bracket and within which are respectively "received :the ends of the :rods 14 and 15. It is customary to suspend the-cur tain 11 from the rod 14 and the draperies '12 from the iouter rod 15. As has been already pointed out, the valance 13 is. suspendedfrom the outer edgeof the valance board 16, 'the valance being secured in place byany suitable securing elements.

The rod supporting brackets and '28 differ from each other in the following respect. Secured to the member 27 in anysuitable manner, preferably by means of a rivet 35, is a depending strap member 36 provided at its lower end with a pair of vertically spaced laterally projecting arms Suitably mounted between these arn1s'37'for rotation about a vertical axis is a :dra-w-cord pul ey'38, The member 28 differs from the member 27 in that in place of the depending strap 36 it is provided with a lateral extension forming an integral partof the forward depending flange 36 thereof. Formed in this same flange 30 and to the rear of the lateral projection 39is a slot 40 through which is passed a substantially U-shaped member 41. When properly positioned within the slot 40, this U-shaped member 41 lies with the legs thereof paralleling but arranged to either side of the extension 39. A pintle 42 passing through the free ends of the exten sion 39 and the legs of the member 41 Sup ports a pair of draw-cord pulleys 43 and 44 for rotation about a horizontal axis. It will be understood that when the members 27 and 28 are positioned properly within their re spective valance board supporting brackets, and the latter are mounted above the trim as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the pulley 37 of the member 27 and the pulleys 43 and 44 of the member 28 will be presented toward each other. WVith the parts so arranged a drawcord a may be threaded through the pul leys and secured to the draperies 12 in the manner well known in the art, this cord being so arranged that by pulling downwardly upon either the end 6 or the end thereof the draperies will be drawn together or apart. By virtue of the fact that the pulleys 37 and 43-44 are carried directly by and form integral parts of the members 27 and 28, there is obviated the trouble which is ordinarily encountered in securing these pulleys in proper operative position. Further, the arrangement efi'ectually precludes relative displacement of the pulleys with respect to the rod with which they are operatively associated as is the case where special pulley fittings are secured directly upon this rod.

As has already been stated, one of the .2". primary objects of the invention is to avoid disfigurement of the trim above the window or door and with this in mind the invention contemplates the provision of an auxiliary member 45 (shown in perspective in Figure 6) which is adapted to be secured against the wall above the trim by means of a screw 46 passing through a suitable opening 47 pro vided in the body of the member 45. (See Figure 3..) The vertical side edges of this 1 member 45 are inturned, as at 48, to provide a pair of vertically extending grooves or runways 49 within which the side edges of the portion 20 of the valance board support may be slidably received. The slots 26 in the horizontally extending portion 19 of this support permit the latter to be quick-detachably se cured to the fixed supporting member 45, the inturned edges 48 of the latter being respectively received within said slots. It thus 1 appears that whenever it becomes necessary or desirable to remove the brackets, as when no hangings are to be use,d,it is merely necessary to lift them vertically out of the supporting members 45. The latter, being small and not objectionable as respects appearance, may be left in secured position upon the wall ready to receive the brackets when the hangings are to be replaced.

If desired, the brackets may each be provided with openings in the portions 20 thereof in the manner shown in said above men tioned copending application, for securing the same in position by means of screws passed through said openings Without the intervention of the auxiliary members 45. This is sometimes desirable where the ceiling is not high enough above the proper positi on of the brackets to permit the latter to be readily withdrawn vertically from the members 45.

It will be understood, of course, that various changes may be made from time to time in the construction herein disclosed without departing from the principles or spirit of the invention, and it is intended therefore, to claim the invention broadly, as well as specifically, as indicated by c the appended claims.

What is claimed as new and useful is: I

1. In a combined valance board support and hanging rod bracket, a bracket member arranged to be secured to a wall and adapted to support a valance board, means slidably associated with said bracket member for supporting one or more rods from which hangings may be suspended, and a draw-cord pulley carried by said slidable means.

2. In a combined valance board support and hanging rod bracket, a member having a substantially flat horizontally disposed portion for supporting a valance board, means slidably associated with said bracket member for supporting one or more rods from which hangings may be suspended, and means for supporting a draw-cord pulley upon and in fixed relation with respect to said slidable means. 7

3. In a combined valance board support and hanging rod bracket, a substantially flat horizontally disposed valance board supporting member, inturned flanges extending lon gitudinally along opposite side edges of said member, and means received between and slidably associated with said flanges for supporting one or more rods from which hangv ings may be suspended.

4. In a combined valance board support and hanging rod bracket, a member adapted for securement to a wall andarranged to support a valance board in position, said member being provided with a horizontally extending bottom portion and a vertically extending rear portion terminating in a downwardly curved portion overlying said bottom portion, and inturned flanges provided alongopposite side edges of said member, certain portions of which cooperate with support a valance board and one or more rods from which hangings may be suspended, and a draw-cord pulley carried by one of said members in fixed relation with respect thereto. 7

6. In a hanging rod bracket, a supporting member adapted for securement to a wall, means depending from said member and terminating in a tubular sleeve for supporting a drapery rod, said means being adjustable toward or away from the wall, and a drawcord pulley carried by and movable with said rod supporting means, said pulley being disposed immediately adjacent one end of said sleeve.

7. In a hanging rod bracket, a member adapted for securement to a wall, means slidably associated with said member for supporting one or more rods from which hangings may be suspended, a depending strap rigidly secured to said means, and a draw- .cord pulley carried by said strap and arranged for rotation about a vertical axis.

' -8. In combination, an adapter arranged to be secured to a 'wall and provided with a pair of laterally spaced, parallel grooves, a valance board support having a portion adapted to be slidably inserted between said grooves, and means slidably associated with said support for supporting one or more rods from which hangings may be suspended.

'9. In combination,a member arranged to be secured to a wall, said member being provided with a pair of laterally spaced vertical grooves, a combination bracket for supporting a valance board and one or more curtain rods, and means on said bracket slidably received within said vertical grooves for quickdetachably securing said bracket to said member.

10. In a fixture adapted to support decorative hangings across a window or door trim, a bracket member arranged to be secured to a wall above said trim, and means slidably associated with and depending from said member in advance of said trim for supporting one or more rods from which hangings maybe suspended, said means being positionally adjustable toward and away from the frontal face of said trim. a

11. In a fixture adapted to support decorative hangings across a window or door trim, a bracket member provided with an upstanding portion arranged to be secured to a wall above the trim and a horizontally extending portion arranged to rest upon the upper surface of the trim, said latter portion extending forwardly beyond the frontal face of the trim, and means slidably associated with said forwardly extending portion for supporting one or more rods from which hangings may be suspended, said means being positionally adjustable toward and away from the frontal face of said trim.

12. Ina fixture adapted to support deco rative hangings across a window or door trim, a' bracket comprising a member paring a horizontally arranged valance board above a window or door trim, and means for supporting one or more curtain rods in parallelism with and below said board, said latter means being slidably mounted upon said first mentioned means whereby to permit the positional adjustment of said curtain rods toward and away from the frontal face of the trim.

14. In a combined valance board support and curtain rod bracket, means for supporting a horizontally arranged valance board above a window or door trim, means for sup: porting one or more curtain rods in advance of said trim and below said board, and means for positionally adjusting said latter means. toward or away from said trim.

15. In a bracket of the character described a horizontally presenting channel shaped member the inner portion of the bottom flange of which is adapted to overlie the upper surface of a window or door trim, a valance board arranged to be inserted be tween the flanges of said member so as to form a substantially shelf-like projection extending forwardly from the top of said trim, a member suspended from the forwardly extending portion of said bottom flange for supporting one or more rods from which hangings may be suspended, and means operative to permit said last mentioned member to be moved toward or away from the frontal face'of said trim.

16. In a combined valance board support and curtain rod bracket, in combination, a 7

main body member having vertically spaced horizontally extending flanges between which a valance board is adapted to be supported, guiding elements formed in the lower of said flanges, and curtain rod supporting means engaging said guiding elements for adjustment longitudinally of said lower flange. In testimony whereof, I have hereunto aflixed my signature.

JACOB M. WINTROB. 

